Fallen Angels
by Yukomo
Summary: It's set between Mx1 and 2, and explains a bit about the first one, but it's about Neo discovering what he is


The door of the dark room burst open. Mouse was already armed and started to shoot at the bullet-proof corps. He was screaming a loud war cry in his head as he backed up with each bullet. He didn't get a single enemy. As he fell back towards the curtained, bricked up window he stared straight into the eyes of a man at the door. He hit the floor. The ceiling faded and his eyesight dimmed.  
  
"MOUSE! MOUSE!"  
  
A screaming voice pierced the silent night air. But the darkness around the lone figure was impenetrable.  
  
* * *  
  
Neo and Trinity sat across from each other, both cautiously prodding the protein and vitamin rich amino acid crap that seemed to occasionally pulsate. Neo was put off by the fact the quote unquote food looked like what he brought up after the pill experience.  
  
"So, um..."  
  
"Yeah Neo?"  
  
"Any progress on-"  
  
"Yeah, Morpheus wants to take this one himself. Can't see why though, I mean, after last time."  
  
"It was me last time, it wasn't my fault."  
  
"Neo, you're The One, you're and the risk it took to free you was acceptable, but I meant with Cypher and Switch and-"  
  
"Apoc and Tank and Mouse."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"Mouse."  
  
"Why do you have such a problem with Mouse? Every time he's mentioned you sound bitter, it's like you-"  
  
The ship jerked.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Neo, we should probably get up on deck now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Tank burst in and shouted;  
  
"Sentinels!"  
  
Neo jumped up sending his chair flying across the room. Trinity just got up and walked calmly to the door. Then she ran.  
  
* * *  
  
A teenager, probably fifteen, with jet-black blue streaked shoulder length hair sat uncomfortably in the large Victorian-styled armchair. The rigid back was awkward to sit in front of and she jerked slightly every so often to avoid losing blood to different parts of her body. A tall, menacing man in a long coat walked to an adjacent chair and sat down slowly. She nervously stared at the glass of water on the table.  
  
"I want to ask you something."  
  
She looked briefly at his bald head then back at the glass.  
  
"What...what have I done this time?"  
  
The man sighed, his large hands clasped each other and he looked straight into her eyes.  
  
"Look, Mia, you are...different to other people."  
  
Mia was dismayed by this frank comment coming form him, of all people.  
  
"Well dah. Congratulations, you've stated the obvious."  
  
My sarcasm is my defence. That was Mia's mantra. She kept to it, and it kept to her.  
  
"There's absolutely no need for that tone of voice. What I mean is you know something other people like you don't know. Am I right?"  
  
"I know a lot of things they don't know. Give me a clue here."  
  
There was a sudden creak at the door and Mia turned round to see what was happening. The hall outside was well lit, but in the room it was fairly dark and so the shaft of light from under the door was very obvious. Suddenly it broke into three shafts, separated by two large black patches. Someone was standing outside the room. Mia turned round to find the person in the chair opposite was now an agent. He looked FBI. He had slicked back hair and dark sunglasses.  
  
Ooo, menacing she thought sarcastically.  
  
"Mia."  
  
The door opened.  
  
"Would you please come with us."  
  
Mia was not too bothered about his metamorphosis. She knew what had just happened. Hell! She had even seen the spasming muscles and sparks of electricity when she turned round. She knew who was outside the door. She looked down to see shiny black FBI shoes. Like Tom Woolfe, but less profound.  
  
"Yeah sure, why not. But before I go, can I have a drink?"  
  
Mia didn't even wait for an answer. She stood up and took the cold glass in her pale shaky hands. She wasn't scared, she was adrenaline fuelled. She slowly lifted it to her lips with cold calculating precision. It had hardly touched her skin when the agent at the door stepped in and placed his cold strong hand on her shoulder. She swallowed some of the computer- coded liquid. She let go of the glass. It froze mid air and her hands shot out towards the agents. They flew into the walls behind them. The plaster formed clouds of white grey debris.  
  
The glass hit the floor and Mia walked out.  
  
* * *  
  
"Thank god for that EMP, huh?"  
  
"There is no God, Neo."  
  
Morpheus looked up form the red EMP switch and straight into Neo's big, perfect dark eyes and then into Trinity's cold expression.  
  
"Neo, I need to talk to you...alone."  
  
Trinity left. Tank stood up to leave.  
  
"I'll got then shall I?"  
  
Tank edged around them. Morpheus took a disk out of his pocket and waved it in the air,  
  
"Run this."  
  
Tank took the disk and put it in the drive. Neo and Morpheus sat down and locked in.  
  
"Let's roll."  
  
* * *  
  
Neo found himself sitting next to Morpheus in a sushi bar.  
  
"I wouldn't suggest eating the next dish, its badly prepared fugu. The monkfish is nice though."  
  
"Why are we here?"  
  
"Look at the teenager to your right, the one with the blue streaks in her hair."  
  
Neo turned. At first he just saw green code on black background, but he focussed back on normal vision.  
  
"Yeah, what about her?"  
  
The scene froze. She didn't. She kept eating the prawn sushi in front of her.  
  
"Strange isn't it? The agents are tracking her down. Neo...I need you to find her, disconnect her and get her trust. Kill any agents that get in your way. She hangs out here, Mama Mocha's and The Basement. All we know is she goes by the alias Faze."  
  
* * *  
  
Mia sat in a sectioned off both in the dark nightclub. In front of her sat an unopened bottle of alcopop and a laptop. She heard footsteps behind her and the club froze. She turned to find a tall, attractive, dark haired, dark eyed man still walking towards her.  
  
"You were s'posed to freeze Neo."  
  
"You're not s'posed to freeze people Faze."  
  
"Mia...My name. You here for any particular reason Mr Anderson? You've been out of her for a while and you don't have any particular reason to be in this neck of the woods. Well done on rescuing Morpheus. How does it feel to get shot?"  
  
"How do you know all that?"  
  
"You're The One, you tell me."  
  
"Erm...I..."  
  
"For future reference, I'll choose the red pill."  
  
"Come with me."  
  
Neo shifted The Matrix so Mia and himself were sitting on a vast green lawn.  
  
"Oh. That was very impressive. I would have thought you could do much better though."  
  
Mia said sarcastically.  
  
"How can you freeze things? You have to change The Matrix for that to happen."  
  
"So you didn't hear the rumours then?"  
  
"What rumours?"  
  
"I killed two agents. I'll prove it if you want."  
  
"You can't kill an age-"  
  
"Agents."  
  
"You aren't even disconnected."  
  
"And what makes you so sure I'm connected to begin with."  
  
Mia smiled enigmatically and froze Neo. She walked off, swinging her hips, as she shifted back to the club.  
  
* * *  
  
"Welcome back Neo, I'm making banoffee pie. Did you get round to eating that cookie? But I already know that don't I."  
  
"You told me I wasn't The One. You told me I wasn't who I am. I understand why, but now I really need to know something."  
  
"Fire away kid."  
  
The Oracle took a lighter and a packet of cigarettes from the table.  
  
"I met someone."  
  
"Mia is a something, not a someone."  
  
"You just answered my question. Thank you."  
  
"A pleasure Neo. Don't be angry that you can't beat an anomaly."  
  
The Oracle pushed the lighter and cigarettes to one side. She stood up and opened the cutlery drawer and took out a spoon.  
  
"The spoon does not bend, it is you who bends. Déjà vu?"  
  
Neo took the spoon and noticed the curtain had moved exactly the same way twice.  
  
He whispered to himself.  
  
"Déjà vu."  
  
He hurried out and ran down the corridor. He pulled out his cellphone and made the call.  
  
"Tank, I need an exit."  
  
The female voice on the end of the line was Mia's.  
  
"Tough, 'cause I ain't Tank. Wait a second. If you're The One, then can't you just pull yourself out?"  
  
"The old way's the best way."  
  
"Yeah. Whatever. Look, Neo, I need to get out of here."  
  
"Yeah well so do I."  
  
"Hurry back, honey."  
  
* * *  
  
Mia looked into the cracked mirror. She saw an unfamiliar face. Shoulder length black hair with a few blue streaks. Big dark eyes. Thinly plucked eyebrows. High, sculpted cheekbones. Yellowish complexion. That she knew all too well, but she was different. Bruised all over. Her lip split down the middle with purple-scarlet blood trickling from her wounds. Her left eye was swollen and black. Her face was scratched and cut.  
  
"Mia."  
  
A soft whisper came from the door of the minimalist white bedroom. Mia turned round to face the door.  
  
"The floor hit me."  
  
The thin cotton curtains blew gently in the breeze from the partially opened floor to ceiling windows. Neo's dark hair shone in the gold and amber light. He walked over to Mia and pulled a red pill from his pocket. The room morphed into the room Neo had taken his pill in. Morpheus, Tank and Trinity were there.  
  
"Uh...hi there...um...hi."  
  
"You must be Mia, Neo's told me a lot about you."  
  
"It's not true. Well, the bad bits probably are but-"  
  
"Wanna get out?"  
  
"Yeah, this VR world sucks into the major league. Like Britney Spears on coke at a rich guy convention."  
  
Trinity was about to continue the conversation, but was halted by Neo displaying the red pill.  
  
"Water?"  
  
Mia grabbed the pill and threw it into the back of her mouth.  
  
"Let's blow this hotdog stand." She swallowed. The computer in front of Tank started beeping. The mirror was cracked just like when Neo took the pill. But it didn't mould back together.  
  
"Something's wrong here people. I can't get a lock on her position. The readings are everywhere, literally. She's no where...Wait...I think I've got her...wait a second..."  
  
Mia's eyes rolled back and she started to convulse. Neo's hand shot out and grabbed her pallid trembling arm.  
  
"Come on Mia, I need you to make it,"  
  
Trinity launched a bitter/jealous look at Neo and turned away.  
  
"Neo..."  
  
Mia whispered hoarsely.  
  
"...Neo, just leave me, get out of the Matrix. Now, Neo, now."  
  
Morpheus' eyes slid like warm butter over glass towards the door.  
  
"I GOT HER! I GOT A LOCK!"  
  
Tank shouted triumphantly. The door burst open just as they all left via the Bakelite phone.  
  
* * *  
  
Neo sat looking longingly at Mia. She looked dead. Her ribcage didn't seem to move as she breathed.  
  
"Neo, Morpheus needs to talk to you."  
  
A hand accompanied the soothing voice on his shoulder.  
  
"Ok, tell him I'll be there in a minute."  
  
"Sure thing Neo."  
  
Trinity left. Mia's eyes flickered and opened.  
  
"Ow. Ow! OW OW OW OW!"  
  
Sarcastically at first, she expressed her pain.  
  
"Eyes...hurting. Muscles...underdeveloped. Stomach...empty."  
  
"Thanks for the update. Do I really need to explain?"  
  
"Hey you."  
  
Ma was hoarse, but a small, sweet smile crept across her face.  
  
"What'chyou doin' here?"  
  
"Waiting for you."  
  
"I owe you an explanation, huh?"  
  
"Nah."  
  
"Do you believe in guardian angels?"  
  
"I used to believe that when I ate Rocky Road Ice Cream I was really eating Rocky Road Ice Cream."  
  
"Oh yeah, well-"  
  
"But in fact it's liquidated dead person."  
  
"Yum...corpse flavoured. But seriously."  
  
"I'd like to, but obviously guardian angels fall under the religion category, and look where Father, Son, Holy Ghost got the world. It's a load of crap."  
  
"The Trinity didn't kill them. As much as religion's a load of crap, you're the Messiah, you're The One."  
  
"So what are you? The point of being The One is the fact there's only one. Notice it's not The One's."  
  
"DO YOU BELIEVE IN GUARDIAN ANGELS?"  
  
Mia shouted forcibly.  
  
"No, no I don't."  
  
"Well that's weird, cos you're talkin to one."  
  
"What the?"  
  
* * *  
  
Trinity ran through the crowded subway against the flow of the rush hour leaving party. She got out of the subway station and headed for the phone box. The agent-driven truck smashed it before she could get there.  
  
"FUCK! Tank, I need another exit!"  
  
"Eastern Electrical Supplies on fifth."  
  
"Aren't there any closer?"  
  
"Nope, so hurry."  
  
Trinity sped up as she crossed to ninth. She looked back briefly to see the agents had disembarked and were running after her. They were right on her ass.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"YES! HURRY UP TRINITY!"  
  
Trinity saw the tramline and had an epiphany.  
  
"When's the next tram along eighth?"  
  
"Thirty seconds."  
  
"Great!"  
  
Trinity could get to the end of eighth in twenty. She needed to time it just right. There was an alley halfway down. It joined eighth. It would take her a long time to get there on foot, but not on a...  
  
Trinity sped along the alley on a Ducatti. It was custom-built and was sprayed dark metallic blue with silver flame decals.  
  
Very nice, she thought while raising an elegant eyebrow. The tram was nearly there. The agents were still on her ass.  
  
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
She screamed as she wheelied across the lines and onto the sidewalk. The tram passed just at the right time.  
  
"BEAT THAT FUCKERS!" Her highly professional attitude had changed. She had another three avenues to cross and she was on the sidewalk riding a Ducatti. This was good. She pulled up outside Eastern Elec. and dismounted. She blew a huge kiss to the agents as she left The Matrix and went back to the real world.  
  
* * *  
  
"Neo, I see you haven't yet discovered the joys of being all powerful when in The Matrix. I am a program on the Zion Mainframe, an anomaly if you like, and in the real world however I am human. Because the mind thrives in The Matrix it can easily be changed. I have all of your knowledge. Because I am also a human battery, I can live here too."  
  
"Who created you?"  
  
"The original One did, but totally by accident. Because he had the codes to the Zion mainframe locked in his head somewhere what he changed went. Like you he could kill agents and therefore so can I, as I am his creation. I'm like...a substitute for a fairy godmother, yeah? You see? Basically he wanted guidance and because I was him I could give him guidance, although I didn't have this body."  
  
"That's extremely weird."  
  
"You try being bald and omnipotent, sucks huh?"  
  
"Yeah. Why that body?"  
  
"You chose it for some reason. Remember woman in red?"  
  
"Sure I do...but...Oh. Hey shit! You weren't s'pose to be real."  
  
"Guess not."  
  
"Yeah." 


End file.
